Random Acts of Kindness

Following tragedies such as the horrific school shooting in Newtown in December, many people struggle with a desire to do something, but having no idea what to do. One possible response has come via FaceBook and Twitter as tens of thousands of people across the country joining a social media movement called "26 Acts of Kindness", started in honour of the twenty children and six teachers and administrators.

To learn more about the acts of kindness memorial, check out this article.

Whether or not they are done in remembrance or in response to a tragedy, here are some ideas for some simple random acts of kindness you can do for strangers and your community:

- Pay for the order of the person behind you. This is especially easy to do anonymously at a drive-through, as the order has often already been rung up and you can pay the exact amount.

- Shovel someone's driveway or sidewalk.

- Pick up litter.

- Leave a good book or magazine in the waiting room of the doctor's or dentist's office.

- Carry dog treats, especially if you travel through areas where many homeless and their pets live. Remember to always ask the owner before giving a treat!

- Let someone go ahead of you in line.

- Offer to help a stranger carry their groceries or other heavy items.

- Leave a quarter on top of a payphone.

- Carry an extra pair of inexpensive gloves or an umbrella to give away to someone who needs it. (I actually had this done to me once; the weather was OK when I left for work, but I found myself standing at the bus stop in a jean jacket in the pouring rain after my shift. Someone hopped out of a car in the nearby parking lot, thrust an umbrella into my hand, and ran back away.)

- Seek out uplifting but less-known blogs and leave comments.

- Give your seat on the bus to someone who has a lot of bags or who looks like they've had a tough day (but don't tell them why in the latter case - no one likes to hear that they look tired!). Giving your seat to someone with a lot to carry is often also a gift to everyone around them; no one likes being bumped in the shins by someone's bag of canned goods.

- Send a compliment about your favourite waitress to a restaurant or post a positive review of your favourite locally owned business to a review website.

- Carry little packets of tissue to give away. If you've ever had a runny nose on the bus and haven't had a kleenex, you'll know what a relief that would be to receive.

You may never know what a difference a little act of kindness made to someone's day. Even a smile or a small compliment to a stranger may make their day a little brighter.